Establishing circular solutions in an economy still based on a linear model requires a concerted effort by a wide range of partners and stakeholders. We want to be part of these solutions, to learn from other stakeholders, and to use our expertise in innovation and developing new services and processes to support our partners. We have already concluded a partnership with CRCLR through our work with the Alliance, and look forward to working with more partners in the future.
Our work is rooted in and based on the principle of ‘design thinking’. For us, the key to design thinking is adopting a fundamental posture that is geared to finding solutions to meet specific needs, including within complex, multi-faceted systems.
That’s why our development processes are focused on the principles of user empathy, iteration and collaboration. Gathering user feedback leads to better acceptance of our ideas, while an iterative approach allows us to minimise risks through rapid prototyping and feedback loops. Finally, our cooperative working methods encourage networking and a diverse range of views and expertise.
We are now applying these principles of Human-Centred Design (HCD) to the challenges of the circular economy. At the same time as implementing the principles of circular design, our main aim is systematically to expand stakeholders’ horizons, helping them to think less in terms of individual human users, and more in terms of entire ecosystems. We will be launching the first of a range of initiatives on circular thinking from November 2019.